mcgiehan



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-S11eet 1.

. I. S. MQGIEHAN.

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND BENDING METAL. 190.419.1563. Patented Jan.'7, 18

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. S. MOGIEHAN. MACHINE FOR FORMING AND BENDING METAL.

No. 419,156. Patented Jan.'7, 1890.

1 III UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC S. MCGIEHAN, OF NE\Y YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND BENDING METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,156, dated January'7, 1890.

Application filed October 26, 1889. Serial No. 328,307. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC S. MCGIEHAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forForming and Bending Metal; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to the forming of sheet metal into troughs,channels, and other shapes when it becomes necessary to bend the metalafter it has been rolled into sheets, its principal object being toconvert sheet metal into the form of a channel-beam to be used forrailway metal cross-ties, such as those illustrated and described in thepatents of Henry Shultzen, dated July 17, 1888, and

numbered, respectively, 386,356 and 386,357, both of which were assignedto the Standard Metal Tie and Construction Company, of New York city.

The present invention consists, broadly, in the employment offorming-rollers for bendin g the metal, in connection with a die of anydesired shape or size; also, in means for holding the metal to the diewhile it is being operated on; also, in minor details of constructionand combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully setforth in the specification and claims.

In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood,Ihave illustrated it as applied to two forms of dies, and in which Figure1 represents a side elevation of a machine which I have designed toillustrate the principle of the rollers. Fig. 2 represents an end viewof the same, showing the toggles which automatically adjust the rollersto the width of the channel or trough to be formed, and as they willappear when the power is applied to the piston which connects with thetoggles in the operation of bending the plate. Fig. 3 represents anelevation of the cross-head detached, showing the position of therollers and toggles when the rollers are being raised after the platehas been formed. Fig. 4; represents a horizontal section in the line y yof Fig. 3.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 represent transverse sections through the line new ofFig. 1, showing the position of the rolls before, during, and after theoperation of bending.

The same letters of reference indicate identical parts in all thefigures.

The frame of the machine which I have shown to illustrate theapplication of my invention is composed of a hollow girder A, embeddedin any suitable foundation, in each of the four corners of which girderis formed a sleeved opening a for the reception of guides orsupporting-posts B B B B, provided each with a collar or shoulder 12,which bears against the upper side of said girder and supports the posttherein, and with a nut L at the lower end, for holding the postssecurely in place. At the top of the posts B B B B is another girder A,similar to the girder A, secured to the guides or supporting posts inthe same manner.

Located on the base of the machine longitudinally thereof, and in aplanecentrally between the end gnide-posts B B, is an anvil G, 011 which themetal to be operated upon is placed. In order to clamp the metal" plate0 to the anvil C while being operated on, I secure to the center of thegirder A a vertical hydraulic cylinder D, provided with a piston orplunger D, which carries at its lower end a clamping-bar E, the underface of which corresponds in size and shape to the upper face of theanvil; but in cases where the plate to be bentis of unusualthicknessIprefer to use a clamping-bar E a trifle wider than the face ofthe anvil in order to compensate for such increased thickness of themetal plate. lVhile I have shown and described only one cylinder andplunger for operating the clamping-bar, I may employ two cylinders andplungers, one at either end of the clamping-bar, in cases where theplate to be bent is of unusual length.

Located at opposite sides of the clampingbar E are vertically andhorizontally movable rollers G journaled in movable bearings F, mountedin guideways F formed in a frame or cross-head F at either end of themachine. These frames or cross-heads F are mounted on the guide-posts BB and B B, and are capable of vertical movement thereon by means ofsleeved openings F at their ends,

through which the guide-posts B B and B B pass to guide and steady thecross-heads in their movement, and at a point midway be t Ween the twoguide-posts B B and B B the cross-heads are each provided with averticalopening F, the upper end of which is of larger diameter for a shortdistance from the top to form a shoulder or countersink f, by whichconstruction I am enabled to use shorter plungers I I than if thecountersinksfwere omitted.

The journals of the rollers G G are coupled together on either side ofthe sliding bearing F by means of toggle-joint connections H II, asshown. in Fig. 4, the pivotal points or joint ends of which arejournaled on pivotal pins H below the guideways F. Between the posts B Band B B, at either end of the girder A, is mounted a vertical hydrauliccylinder I, having a piston-plunger I, the lower end J of which, or thatportion outside the cylinder, is turned down to a smaller diameter thanthe remainder, in order to pass through the circular opening F in thecross head, and at its lower end the piston J is connected with thepivotal pin II of the toggles.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The plungers D and Ibeing at their highest points, the piece of metal to be operated on isplaced on the anvil C, as shown at c in Figs. 1 and 2. The clamping-barE is forced down on the metal 0 by the hydraulic plunger D, which holdsthe metal plate firmly on the anvil, the rollers G G being in themeanwhile in their separated position, or thatshown in Fig. 3. Theplungers I are then forced downward, the effect of which is to firstbring the rollers G G toward each other until they come in contact withthe clamping-bar E. The continued motion of the plungers carries downthe cross-heads F, and with them the rollers G G, which, coming incontact with the plate 0, as shown in Fig. 5, bend its projecting edges0 c downward against the sides of the anvil C, as shown in Figs. 6 and7. The plungers I I are then returned to their elevated position in theusual manner, the effect of which is to first separate the rollers G G,as shown in Fig. 4, until the movable journal-blocks F reach the limitof their outward movement, when the continued motion of the plungers Icarries the cross-heads and rollers G G to their normal position abovethe anvil C. On reversing .the plunger D the clamping-bar E is moved.out of contact with the plate 0, in order that the finished article canbe taken from the anvil.

From the above description it will be readily'understood that the inwardmovement of the rollers G G is only limited by the width of the clamp E,and that by reason of the resistance opposed to their downwardmovement'by the plate to be bent they will move inwardpuntil they comein contact with the clampE, and then downward.

WVhile I have shown and described my invention as applied to themanufacture of a particular form of channel-iron, it is obvious thatother shapes and sizes of channels, troughs, &c., may be formed thereonby simply changing the anvil and clamping-bar to suit the size or shapeof channel desired, as the rollers, being automatically adjustable, willbear against the clamping-bar and anvil during their downward movement,and by my arrangement of rollers I am enabled to form channel-irons ofplates. of greater thickness than heretofore, as a greater leverage isobtained on the edges of the plate, and

the friction is reduced to a minimum.

Ihave described the frame shown as my preferred construction; but itwill be obvious that the form of frame may be greatly varied withoutdeparting from the principle of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. In a machine for bending metal, the combination, with the stationarydie and plunger, of two vertically and horizontally reciprocatingforming-rollers located 011 opposite sides of said plunger and adaptedto move in one direction in contact therewith, substantially as and forthe purposes described. r

2. In a machine for bending metal, the combination, with the anvil andplungenof rollers located on opposite sides thereof, toggle-leversconnecting the journals of said rollers, and plungers operating on saidtoggles to cause the rollers to approach or recede from each other,substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a machine for bending metal, the combination, with a stationarydie and movable clamping-bar, of cross-heads mounted in vertical guideson the frame of the machine, rollers journaled in movable bearingsin'said cross-heads, toggle-levers connecting the journals of theopposite rolls, and a single cylinder and plunger at either end of themachine, for operating said cross-heads and rollers, substantially asand for the purposes described.

4. In a machine for bending metal, the combination, with the stationarydie and movable clamping-bar, of cross-heads mounted in vertical guideson the frame of the machine, rollers journaled in guideways in saidcrossheads, toggle-levers connecting the journals of said rollers, and acylinder and plunger at either end of the machine for operating saidrollers both horizontally and vertically through said levers,substantially as and for the purposes described. 7

5. In a machine for bending metal, the combination, with the stationarydie or anvil, of a movable bar for clamping the metal to the anvil, acylinder and plunger for con trolling said clamping-bar, two verticallyand horizontally movable rollers located on opposite sides of saidclamping-bar, and a single cylinder and plunger at either end of themachine for controlling said rollers, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

6. The combination, With the stationary anviland plunger, ofvertically-reciprocating cross-heads, rollers journaled in horizontalguideways in said cross-heads, toggle-levers connecting the journals ofsaid rollers, and a plunger connected. with said toggle-levers,

IO whereby on the mor'cment of said piston the rollers are first movedhorizontally and then vertically, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC S. MCGIEHAN.

\Vitnesses:

W. H. SPENCER, ALEXR. MELHADO

